Review: Evil Acidhead - In the Name of All That is Unholy

Evil Acidhead is the brainchild of John McBain and Greg Chapman. McBain was part of Monster Magnet circa the awesome 'Tab' EP and also Wellwater Conspiracy (if you are not au fait...check out the 'Wellwater Conspiracy' LP....you won't regret it). He also contributed to the Carlton Melton 12" 'Smoke Drip' and was an early gigging member of QoTSA...that's a mighty fine heritage. With names like Monster Magnet and Carlton Melton bandied around you'd imagine that another McBain project is gonna be guitar based, 'rock' orientated....ha, guess again! This is a mindfuck of gigantic proportions, but there is also a level of blissed out tranquility to be found amid the drone, feedback, loops and general mentalness - it's not for the fainthearted, but anyone brave enough can find rich rewards.

'In the Name of All That is Unholy' first saw the light of day as a cassette only release in 1987, but has recently been re-issued on vinyl, CD and download by Agitated Records. First track 'Part I: Invocation' has a definite Butthole Surfers vibe about it (circa 'Rembrandt Pussy Horse'), all echoey squealing guitar with washes of distortion and drones; the more you listen to it the more the guitar seems to be talking to you, albeit in an alien language - it's psychedelia pushed to the edge. 'Part II: Descent' has a similar psyched-out guitar lead, but this time underpinned by some pulsing seventies synth drones and some deranged organ breaks...remember that time you watched '2001: A Space Odyssey' whilst tripping? well this is the soundtrack...warped sci-fi and unhinged psychedelia collide in a malevolent explosion of colours and sound...and those drones! 'Part III: Possession' is built on a repetitive, relentless loop over which is laid some genuinely scary growls like some beastly harbinger from the depths of hell. The loop builds the drama to breaking point and when the guitar kicks in, discordant and sharp, it does little to dispel the tension. Eventually the loop is replaced by another...less strident and demanding but no less dramatic, especially coupled with the threatening synths and more ominous growling that join it. I can only imagine that this is what a paranoid schizophrenic's inner monologue must sound like. 'Part IV: Acceptance' is the shortest of the seven tracks at just 3 minutes. Dense layers of distortion over what sounds like a gunning motorbike engine and the ever present psych guitar and some treated vocals that are slowed to the point of almost incoherence (although the 'phrase' I give my soul to Satan' is clearly audible!).

Following on from the four part cycle comes 'I Control The Moon', clocking in at a monumental 23 minutes. It is again built on a repetitive loop, drenched in reverb and with a vague kosmische feel about it. The further the track progresses the denser it becomes.... more fuzzed up guitar and distortion. The guitar eventually gives way to some serious phased and fucked electronica that messes with your sense of balance, not to say your sense of what's right or wrong. But amidst the fuckery and noise, it has an almost blissful quality, maybe not on first listen, but on repeated listening you can just close your eyes and 'get into it'.' Looped in the Temple Of The Yeti' begins with a voice intoning '...listen with an open and relaxed mind...' 'nuff said. As the title suggests there is an eastern element to this track, the ever present drones and phases are there but the guitar is replaced by sitar, and the only percussion on the album, tabla drums, provide the nearest thing to a rhythm throughout the whole work. The synths and sitar set up a repetitive pattern that, again, provides some respite from some of the harshness of the first few tracks.The last track is called 'Doom Furnace', an ominous title on any album, but on this...well, you half expect Satan himself to provide backing vocals. In fact, it's not that threatening (but then by this point I'd become inured). The drones and loops are again in counterpoint to some more wailing psych guitar. There is a touch of Vangelis about this track...yes, you did read that correctly...there are some definite 'Bladerunner' flourishes and flashes, and the track does have a krauty feel about it . It is only towards the end that the track reveals some of the titular doom.

On first listen to the album, I confess I was slackjawed in a WTF manner, but on repeated listens it makes sense. It is harsh, it is deranged and I'm sure there's a small part of it that was just for 'shock' value...but, for all the sharp edges, funereal tempo and warped instrumentation, it has a sense of beauty, if you are willing to search for it. This album will not be everyone's cup of tea, in fact I'm sure many will hate it. For those with eclectic tastes, open minds and a yen for something challenging...give this a go, it is a rewarding listen but you have to work for it.

'In The Name Of All That Is Unholy' is out now on Agitated Records on all formats.